Let me put it this way--my wife noticed a huge difference when we adjusted the position of the speakers. Hell, she noticed more of a difference than me. Of course, this all could be placebo. That's an interesting thought....

Since I got my new M40s, I disassembled the stands for my MA GR-10s and put them on top of the M40s. My stands were 24" high and the M40s are 33.5" high, so I took the rubber feet from the pre-pack and placed one under each MA to angle it down toward the listening position. When the MAs were on the stands I used a port plug to control the way boomy bass, but I moved the port plugs to the M40s. The MAs are still about 17" away from the wall but slightly angled, but the shift caused by the little rubber feet has been amazing. Now I get a much more even bass response. It's still a little overpowering at certain frequencies but I have the dreaded square room syndrome.

On the other hand, since I have been listening to my M40s which offer a lot more slam in the bass, maybe I'm just hearing the same thing out of the MAs, but with a slightly different reference point? I'll play around with it a little more.

Point is, I haven't come across such a perceived change in sound from such a little tweak. Pretty cool.

Sean, don't know if this is "fair" or not, but how would you compare the MA's to the Axiom's? The golds were the first speakers I demo'ed a few years back and I LOVED 'em. But alas, it was way outta my price range at the time.

Here you go:
It was a tough choice between the Monitor Audio GR 10s and MA Silver S2s. I spent a good one and a half to two hours in the store listening to both. Very similar in sound, but I felt the GR 10s offered more of a 3D sound with a touch more detail.

The GRs really have a great depth of sound and clearly delineates each instrument. They are bright, yes, with a forward midrange, but it is extremely clear (which I think is often misnamed as brightness). Also, the GRs have respectable bass for a bookshelf. They are rated to play down to 40 Hz, but I think they roll off more around 50 or 45 Hz. They play deep, but not with the impact of a floorstander. This week I've been switching between running them with a sub and without (thanks to the 6 channel dvd audio and direct analogue channels on my HK) and I've been prefering the speakers by themselves. Like the rest of the frequency response, the bass is very tight with sharp decay. Subsequently, when I added the integrated tube amp to these speakers the sound was awesome. Took just a tad of the bite off the edge of the sound to make it a bit more inviting. I'm sure your Sophia can do the same for your M22s.

The Axiom M40s are a very different speaker. Rated to go down to 40 Hz like the GR 10s, the M40s do it with much more authority. I can feel the bass with these guys. When I read that the M40s were more laid back then the rest of the line, I thought that would also include a lack of detail. Not so. I am really surprised at the amount of musical information they convey. I've heard other so-called "laid back" speakers and felt that not all of the sound was presented. I am pleasantly surprised by the M40s. I guess I'd say the sound is more lush with the Axioms. A bit more blended together, not mushy, but just in comparison with the GR 10s. Pianos sound fuller, with more body, compared to the Monitor Audios. Imaging is not quite on par with the GR 10s, but the M40s surprise me every once in a while.

Well, Cesar, I don't know what else to say. These are the things that have stood out to me over the past couple of weeks. The Axiom M60s are often compared to the Monitor Audio Silver 6 and 8s. The Gold Reference series is the next step up in detail and imaging. I really don't know if the difference in sound is worth the difference in price, though. For me, the GR bookshelves are still in the realm of affordable. The floorstanders are way too pricey. Just my opinion. Everyone has different tastes and budgets.

The GR 10s and M40s have their own characteristics, but both are very enjoyable for different reasons. If you have any specific questions don't hesitate to ask. I am no expert, but I will try to convey my thoughts and opinions as best as possible.

I have a hiden agenda of sorts.....gotta find out where my M50s fit!! Your words on the M40 are most welcome indeed! Helps to put the entire Axiom line in perspective, as well as where Axiom lives in the audio community.

Like I said though; I know other folks are interested in hearing thoughts on other speakers' offerings as much as I am, so thanks again for the good words!! Very much appreciated